Douglas' DNA found on tools, clothing of two accused

DNA matching to Shawn Roderick Douglas was found on a number of tools as well as clothing allegedly seized from Johnathon Nelson Peepeetch and Joshua Duane Wilson, two of three men accused of killing the 54-year-old man in the summer of 2014.

But, as pointed out by defence lawyer Kathy Hodgson-Smith, Douglas’ DNA was not found on clothing seized from her client, Dennis Calvin Thompson. Rather, several blood samples pulled from Thompson’s clothing were his own, his lawyer noted while cross-examining a DNA expert on Monday.

Thompson, 35, Peepeetch, 26, and Wilson, 27, are each charged with first-degree murder in the Aug. 7, 2014 death of Douglas, who the Crown alleges was taken to a rural location and beaten to death with tools.

Court previously heard the three accused were among a larger group of people arrested in Saskatoon on the night of Aug. 7 and early morning hours of Aug. 8, 2014. The jury previously heard testimony from police witnesses who described seizing clothing from those arrested as well as a number of items — including several tools — from vehicles located and seized in Saskatoon at the time.

Several items were subsequently sent to the RCMP lab in Ottawa for examination, including a sledgehammer, two smaller hammers, a crowbar and a pry bar, as well as DNA samples taken from Douglas and those charged and various articles of clothing, including those said to belong to the three accused standing trial.

Under questioning by co-Crown prosecutor James Fitz-Gerald, Katherine Murphy said she was working as a forensic scientist at the time and worked to extract and identify DNA profiles from various samples she received.

Murphy said DNA — some of which was confirmed as blood — matching to Douglas was found on the sledgehammer, crowbar, pry bar and a claw hammer. Murphy said a ball peen hammer was also looked at, but contained a mixture of DNA from at least three people that she was unable to use for comparison.

Meanwhile, white cargo shorts identified as belonging to Peepeetch were found to contain DNA matching to both Douglas and himself, while a pair of pants said to belong to Wilson held DNA matching to Douglas, Murphy testified. In the first case, the chance the DNA came from someone other than Douglas was one in 51 trillion; in the second case, it was one in 40 quintillion.

Court heard DNA matching to Douglas was also found on two tissues — at least one of which held confirmed blood — several strands of hair, and swabs taken from the trunk of a car in which he’d allegedly been placed prior to his death.

But the jury heard Murphy also identified DNA — some of it confirmed blood — matching to Thompson in various places, including his own clothing and clothing items reportedly seized from Peepeetch and others arrested.

When questioned by Wilson’s lawyer Kevin Hill, Murphy agreed her findings only tell the court if DNA is present; they don’t provide the entire story.

“I can’t say when the DNA was deposited, I can’t say how it was deposited, and I can’t say what order it was deposited,” she said.